About
My name is Nisha.
I have spent over 30 years in the garments industry - from bridal couture to one-of-a-kind upcycled outerwear, I've been lucky enough to cultivate a wealth of knowledge and experience in the world of fashion, design and fabrics.
Despite having been on the runway at Fashion Week and featured in magazines, I'm happiest when I'm travelling around India, meeting with local artisans and trying to bring these lost arts to the world stage.
Nisha Merchant Label is the culmination of all my worlds - the fashion, the ethics and a desire to make great fashion size inclusive.
The three guiding principles of my label are:
Size inclusivity
As a woman who has always worn plus sizes, I have never felt truly seen by brands. The clothes always feel like they were designed by someone who isn’t plus sized – the proportions never quite lined up and the interesting designs are never extended to the plus size collection. I have set out to address this issue. I want to bring fun and interesting garments, with colour, movement and thoughtful design to women like me who are not being considered by major fashion labels today.
Slow fashion
You’re not going to believe this but I don’t want you to buy hundreds of pieces. I don’t make hundreds of pieces. I make a few and I hope they last you for years to come. I hope you take care of them and pass them on to loved ones. Slow fashion is an approach to producing clothing which takes into consideration all aspects of the supply chain, and in doing so aims to respect people, the environment and our values.
This is the guiding principle of Nisha Merchant Label. My promise is to make sustainable thoughtful fashion, made in small batches with love and care.
Ethical practices
I will bring my values to everything I do. I respect the teams I choose to work with, and their processes. Things will never be fast or cheap. I work with or give business to women where I can. I work with or give business to people of colour or people from marginalised backgrounds where I can. My garments are made in India by small teams of workers, usually in their homes. I do not own and operate a factory and never will. This choice does make for more work for me but I prefer to work with small scale artists.
